Doctors have warned Americans they could soon face a ‘quad-demic’ of viral illnesses this winter.
Experts say a combination of Covid, flu, the cold-like virus RSV and the stomach bug norovirus could all hit at once.
Doctors are warning that the US could be in for a ‘quad-demic’ this year.
Flu, Covid and RSV are spread mostly via droplets that become airborne when someone coughs or sneezes, and are a seasonal menace.
About 900 people die from norovirus every year, and 6,000 to 10,000 from RSV.
A “quad-demic” of viral illnesses is expected to strike Americans this winter, according to doctors.
The flu, the stomach virus norovirus, the cold-like virus RSV, and COVID could all strike at the same time, according to experts.
During the Christmas and New Year season, people tend to stay indoors more to avoid the cold, which increases the risk of infection.
They also worry that more people may be admitted to hospitals as a result of the lower number of people who have received this year’s Covid and flu vaccinations, which would further strain the healthcare system.
“We know these viruses are coming, we see them increase every year,” stated Dr. Joe Bresee, an infectious diseases specialist who worked for the CDC for 20 years, including its flu division.
Over the next few months, we can expect these four to see increases in circulation, which would lead to what are known as epidemics. “…
The warning is being issued by doctors due to lower vaccination rates than in previous years, especially for the flu, which is nearly half as high as the 70 percent protective level for adults over 18.
According to doctors, there may be a “quad-demic” in the US this year. An NHS hospital in England is the source of the stock photo above.
FLU OUTBREAK: Each state’s flu-related illnesses are displayed above. The disease is presently prevalent in just two states: Louisiana and Georgia.
According to experts, the number of COVID cases is not increasing at this time, but they anticipate that they will increase during the holidays and into January.
In addition, Dr. Bresee, a member of the nonprofit Task Force for Global Health, stated: “Three of the major infectious diseases are on the rise.”.
RSV is currently on the rise but hasn’t reached its peak, flu is rising but is still at a low level; we anticipate that it will peak between January and March, and norovirus is on the rise with infections predicted to peak around January.
COVID is also beginning to rise, albeit at relatively low levels; it rises annually in January. “.”.
These will increase as more people board airplanes and travel during the holiday season, he continued. There are undoubtedly virus-carrying passengers on any aircraft at the moment.
And because people have returned to school after traveling and getting infected, we do see significant spikes right after the winter break. “.”.
According to recent surveillance, 3point 9 percent of Covid tests found the virus in the week ending November 6, the most recent data available. Preliminary data for the week ending December 7 indicates that this number has since increased to 5point 4 percent.
Additionally, hospitalizations for flu-like illness are increasing; in the week leading up to December 7, 3point 3 percent of patient admissions were made, up 14 percent from 2point 9 percent two weeks earlier.
The rate of hospitalization for RSV was more than double that of 0.5 at the start of the month, with 1.2 cases per 100,000 people reported in the week leading up to November 30.
HOSPITALIZED WITH FLU: The annual hospital admissions for patients suffering from a flu-like illness are displayed above.
Additionally, according to surveillance, 40 outbreaks of norovirus were reported in the week ending October 24, the most recent available data. This is higher than the number of outbreaks reported in every year since 2012.
In order to strengthen their bodies’ defenses against the illnesses this year, Dr. Bresee and Dr. Bill Schaffner, a specialist in infectious diseases in Tennessee, encouraged people to get the new flu and COVID vaccines.
By the week of November 30, only 38.6 percent of adults over the age of 18 had received the flu shot, compared to nearly 40 percent who had done so at this time last year.
Additionally, the uptake of COVID booster shots was lagged; by the week of November 9, only 17 percent of adults had received the shot, which is 4 percent lower than the rates from the previous year.
Iframes are not supported by your browser.
Additionally, the RSV vaccine, which is up to 98 percent effective at preventing serious illness from the virus, was recommended for adults over 75.
However, data indicates that only 43.1 percent of adults in the age group have had the one-time injection.
Because face masks provide an “extra layer of protection” against the diseases, Dr. Schaffner also encouraged people who were older or had underlying immune system issues to start wearing them.
There is some disagreement regarding the effectiveness of face masks; a significant study conducted by the Cochrane Institute previously concluded that they did not prevent illness.
Early in November, hospital systems in California and New York City reinstated calls for face masks, which immediately sparked outrage.
Residents of New York City were once again advised to wear face masks this week, and in mid-November, Sonoma County, California, which includes Santa Rosa, asked medical professionals to resume donning them.
Seasonal threats, flu, COVID, and RSV are primarily transmitted through airborne droplets released when a person coughs or sneezes.
Contact with surfaces, like toilet handles, that an infected person has also touched can spread the norovirus.
As people spend more time indoors due to colder temperatures, more people are touching or breathing the same surfaces, which increases the risk of contracting all the viruses.
RSV: The hospitalization rate for RSV in the US is displayed weekly in the above.
NOROVIRUS: The figure above compares the number of norovirus outbreaks in 2024 to each of the years since 2012.
Fever, coughing, shortness of breath, sore throat, and exhaustion are some of the symptoms that flu, COVID, and RSV can cause.
Vomiting, diarrhea, cramping or pain in the stomach, and nausea are the main symptoms of norovirus.
The flu kills between 12,000 and 52,000 Americans annually, according to current estimates, while COVID is responsible for 44,000 deaths this year alone.
Every year, between 6,000 and 10,000 people die from RSV, and about 900 people die from norovirus.
Only two states in the United States are currently experiencing “high” levels of flu-like illness: Louisiana and Georgia.
The following eight states are reporting moderate levels: Alabama, Arizona, California, Mississippi, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Tennessee, and Texas.
The wave seems to be arriving a little later than in previous years, which is more consistent with a “traditional” flu season, Dr. Schaffner told DailyMail . com.
Furthermore, he noted that infectious disease outbreaks typically occurred earlier in the years after the primary Covid surge.
Dr. Barry Hahn, who practices emergency medicine at Staten Island University Hospital in New York City, expressed his surprise that he hasn’t observed an increase in infections this year in comparison to past years.
He related anecdotally that he was currently witnessing an increase in RSV infections at his unit.
